Not in a position to fight BJP alone; will join hands with others in LS polls: Karnataka Cong chief

Newsroom, Aug 28: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao has candidly admitted that his party is not in a position to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party singlehandedly in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as the latter has too much money.

Responding to a query at a press conference in Dharwad yesterday, the KPCC chief said, “Under the current circumstances, the Congress is not in a position to take on the BJP. We will join hands with like-minded parties in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections to keep the communal agents out of power,” he said.

Mr Rao has said that right wing elements believing in violent methods to settle debate were gaining clout under the governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I do not have evidence to claim that the BJP and the Sangh Parivar are behind the killings of rationalists and activists subscribing to ideologies different from that of the right wing. However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report on the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and activist Gowri Lankesh has proved that systematic planning and execution are taking place by some extremist right wing organisations,” he said.

He further stated that people were being killed in the name of cow vigilantism and other such issues. For every crime, there is a punishment. But some right wing extremists have taken it upon themselves to provide mob justice, which is dangerous to democracy. Congress and All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi are opposing this divisive ideology and are going to the people seeking vote against the hatred politics of the BJP, he said.

He added that co-ordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah is not acting as a Leader of the Opposition and a section of media was misinterpreting his statements. “Mr. Siddaramaiah himself has clarified his statement on becoming Chief Minister. So, there is nothing more for me to add,” he said.

Mr Rao said that the BJP is still continuing with its efforts to break the coalition government. “However, it has not succeeded in luring our MLAs. None of the MLAs will leave the party, as they don’t fear CBI raids nor they will fall to its lures,” he added.